The retail industry is in a fragile state right now, with inflation and tariff hikes threatening the financial security and livelihood of some of our favorite stores. Nevertheless, companies are finding strategic ways to surge ahead. In fact, Burlington and Bed, Bath & Beyond are looking to expand their physical footprint this year. Keep reading to learn more.
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Bed, Bath & Beyond will roll out new stores…very slowly.
As Best Life previously reported, Kirkland finalized a $25 million agreement with Beyond, Inc. in Feb. 2025. The sizable investment deal allowed Beyond Inc. to regain its footing and subsequently announce a new set of strategic plans regarding the expansion of its subsidiaries. This includes Overstock, BuyBuy Baby, and of course, Bed, Bath & Beyond.
On a call with analysts, Beyond executive chairman and principal executive officer Marcus Lemonis said Bed, Bath & Beyond will come back in a “very, very low capex way” and under a new name: Bed Bath and Beyond Home. According to a Chain Store Age report, Bed Bath and Beyond Home will bear a resemblance to Kikrland’s and feature “small furniture pieces, a little bit more textiles, a little bit more décor.”
However, Lemonis warned that the reimagined retailer will be “very different from the true blue store that all of us have known for years, which focused on bed, bath, kitchen and small accessories.” Additionally, Bed Bath and Beyond Home grand openings will occur in small increments.
“Beyond is not preparing today to go open a bunch of stores,” he said. “We want our dollars to be spent on technology, investing in the customer experience, figuring out how to exploit and get more out of our blockchain assets and looking to acquire other valuable IP in the same family and home space, so that we can then take those brands to our investment vehicle of Kirkland’s and see those brands come to life.”
For the first time ever, Overstock will see its first physical store—well, actually, four of them. Lemonis revealed that Beyond will launch four locations across the country, “which over time will improve our financial performance primarily through margin improvement and returns.”
Lastly, Lemonis also said a “test” BuyBuy Baby storefront will pop up later this year. An exact location hasn’t been announced, but Nashville is a top contender.
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45 new Burlington locations will open across the country.
4 | Don’t feel pressured to get a credit card. Shutterstock
Burlington is expanding its fleet after acquiring the lease assignments of 45 JOANN store locations. The fabric and crafts retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year and has since liquidated all 790 of its stores. Those, along with five distribution centers, went to auction in March.
According to a court filing obtained by Chain Store Age, Burlington scooped up 45 JOANN locations during the auction. The off-price department store will assume lease ownership in May and June. Per CSA, these buildings (which can reach up to 52,00 square feet) are located in power centers, strip malls, and urban retail corridors across the country. However, it hasn’t been announced yet which specific JOANN addresses will be remodeled into Burlington stores.
During a recent earnings report, Burlington CEO Michael O’Sullivan said inflated 2024 profit margins “represent significant progress towards our longer-term financial goals.” The company saw a 14.6 percent increase in net income. Moreover, “growth was driven by deliberate strategies,” including the launch of 101 new stores and the relocation of 31 older oversized locations.
Prior to the auction, O’Sullivan said “the outlook for 2025 is very uncertain.” However, the company remains optimistic.
“That said, this is the kind of environment where the off-price model is at its best. We will manage our business cautiously and flexibly and be ready to react to whatever happens externally. This approach served us well in 2024 and we hope for the same in 2025,” he concluded.
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